Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 25034, 29 November 1943, Page 2

A loud explosion which was heard in various parts of the city yesterday caused much speculation, and rumour, as was to be expected, spread quickly, giving a variety of causes, even attribution to enemy action. What actually happened was that the bomb disposal unit of the army was practising on Black Head Beach, about two miles beyond St. Clair. The report which wa6 heard and which several residents on the Flat say rattled their, .window frames was the explosion of a 2501 b bomib which was set off by the unit at the water's edge. A wave of vandalism in gardens and parks has occurred in Mount Albert in recent weeks (reports the Auckland 'Herald'), and many residents havu been troubled with damage to gardens and fittings. One resident disturbed a numiber of young people in his garden one night, but was unable to apprehend any of them. As a result of their visit his vegetable plots were ruined, the plants being, uprooted or trampled into the ground. Many other instances of vandalism have been reported in the district, and in some cases the intruders have made more than one visit to the same place. The town clerk of Mount Albert, Mr T. R. Congalton, said that the council had been experiencing the saime trouble in its parks for some time. Considerable expense had been incurred in repairing broken windows in Fowld* Park and Anderson Park. It had been found necessary also to repaint many of the walls of park buildings which had been scribbled on.

" For a prisoner to go into the witness box and admit various previous convictions and be cross-examined about them, may be tantamount to his ordering his coffin in advance when the jury retire to consider his case, human nature being what it is," remarked one of the Appeal Court judges at a'Wellington hearing. The court was considering an appeal against a jury's conviction in an Auckland burglary charge. The only evidence against the convicted man, it was submitted, was that he had been seen in the vicinity of the crime and had run away when a policeman appeared. At the trial, which resulted in a jury convicting him and another man, he had gone into the witness box. freely admitting the evidence against him and also his previous convictions Counsel in the Appeal Court maintained that this evidence was not sufficient for a conviction, and that the jury had been unduly influenced by the prisoner's previous record. A decision to form , a Dominion organisation to be known as the New Zealand Home Service Association was carried enthusiastically at a conference which commenced at Wellington on Saturday. Over 40 delegates were present, representing 37 towns and centres. Mr IR. P. Levien presided. The conference was opened by Mr B. Jacobs, Dominion president of the New Zealand Returned Services' Association. Remits on rehabilitation, pensions, and housing were discussed, and also the ciucstion of the issue of a badge. The following officers were elected:—President, Mr R. P. Levien (Wellington) ; vice-president. Mr G. Foy (To Aroha) ; secretary (Mr J. R. Pcrston (Wellington).

The question of wages and conditions which has given rise to marked concern among the men for some time was discussed at Wellington yesterday by what was described as one of the largest gatherings of railwaymen ever held there. A resolution was adopted guaranteeing whole-hearted support to the Executive Council of the A.S.R.S. in any action it might deem necessary to advance the claims of the men in the matter. It was made clear that the men are determined to obtain an improvement, and that they look tothe Government to have the issue rectified at an early date. In the Police Court this morning Sydney James Gillan was convicted and "sentenced to one month's imprisonment for arrears of maintenance, the warrant not to issue provided £5 be paid by December 15, £5 on January 15, and £4 18s 6d on February 15.

Several instances of breaking and enterine occurred in the city during the week-end.- The- Westport Coal Company's depot in Birch street was entered by forcing a panel in a door at the bark of the premises. Nothing was stolen. A house in Prince Albert road was entered through an open window. Drawers were ransacked, but nothing was stolen. In Hood street, Roslyn, a house'was entered by breaking a window. Some money and clothing were stolen.

Another beautiful week-end attracted even bigger crowds than usual to all the beaches easily accessible from the city. St. Clair and St. Kilda were thronged with thousands of surfers, while picnic parties were dotted all the way along to Lawyers Head, The St. Clair baths were very popular, and some of the more ardent sun bathers on the terrace there are probably regretting • to-day that they didnot heedt the warnings of their elders. Buses to outlying beaches and the northern excursion train were well patronised, and large numbers of those with sufficient petrol available travelled by car.

Only £9OO, which it is expected will be raised from two sources,' has still to be collected to complete the quota of £58,000, representing money for patriotic purposes obtained in Dunedin through the efforts of the Dunedin-St. Kilda sub-zone of the Otago Provincial Patriotic Council. Commenting on this achievement at the today of the Dunedin-St. Kilda Patriotic Committee, the chairman (Mr A. C.Cameron) said that the drive for funds had been extraordinarily successful, especially so as»the chances earlier in the year of attaining this quota had appeared rather pessimistic. Mr Justice Kennedy has granted probate of the estates of Rebecca Fish, widow, Dunedin ; Roderick MacKinnon', retired miner, Dunedin; and Susan Hunter, widow, Dunedin.

The words "Sale' Now On," scrawled in chalk over the pavement outside an Auckland garage,' attracted a number of buyers to a'sale of trucks. The inevitable latc-comera continued to make inquiries long after the last vehicle had been disposed of, and at least there was a laugh in it for them. An employee of the garage, the owner of a baby car parked there, may or may not have been in the joke, but his oar —of ancient vintage—bore a huge notice. On it was but one word: " Sevenponce "I

To prevent rationing of ice cream the executive of the New Zealand Ice Cream Manufacturers' Association has asked the Minister of Health (the Hon. I A. H. Nordmeyer) and the Health I Department for permission to reduce the .percentage of butterfat in ice cream from the present Government standard of 10 per i cent, to 8 .per cent. The Government is reported to have given the manufacturers an assurance that they will he permitted to reduce the butter-fat content. Since the ban on cream came into force, ice cream manufacturers have been restricted to the use of twothirds of the normal quantity. To maintain the standard butter-fat content they have had to use their quota of cream at a greater rate than is expedient for the - future of their business. When the executive approached tho authorities in Wellington it was pointed out that the reduction of the butter-fat content by 2 per cent, would assist materially. The executive claimed that the nutritive value of the ice cream would not be affected, as the balance would be restored with other solids. After many months' work, which showed signs of resulting in complete success, the Government vegetablegrowing projects in the Auckland district to supply the armed forces are threatened with partial failure unless sufficient labour is made available, sav« the ' New Zealand Herald.' The stage has been reached at Mangere, Patumahoe. and Papatoetoe gardens where the continued lack of workers will mean the complete loss of large areas of crops which are intended solely for the troops in the combat areas. Since the farming land was taken over last May the areas have undergone a complete transformation and to-dav comprise hundreds of acres of orderly rows of vegetables. Permanent staffs, which were sufficient to cope with the work during the winter, have cultivated, planted, and weeded until the huge gardens could take advantage of the spring weather, liv recent weeks, however, growth has been rapid and additional staff is needed immediately.